


Fated

by chaoticlogic



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children
Genre: Domestic Fluff, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Humor, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-19
Updated: 2020-06-07
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:06:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,013
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23743522
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chaoticlogic/pseuds/chaoticlogic
Summary: Ordinary days sometimes house the most extraordinary moments, even if we don’t know it at the time. On that fate filled day you would have never expected the red haired boy to one day become a Turk. You had no idea that your kindness would be repaid in ways you’ve never dreamed about. You had no idea he was the one you were meant to be with. Here’s your story.
Relationships: Reno (Compilation of FFVII)/Reader, Reno/Reader
Comments: 10
Kudos: 105





	1. The Prelude

The day was the same as any other day. You could smell the distinct scent of chemicals on the breeze as the day held a bite of chill. The sky was bright though, despite the cold and that almost made up for it. 

As you passed, you could hear laughing from down the alleyway. A sound that should be joyful was anything but on this winter day. Instead, it was filled with cruel intentions. You turn towards the noise and in the shadows of the alley, you could make out about five boys all of them around your age of fifteen. Another noise disrupts the air, a terrified meow. The meow of something so tiny and helpless your heart clenches at the noise. 

“Hey!” you yell out without thinking, “What are you doing?!” 

The boys whip around to face you, taller and broader than you with a mean glint in their eyes they sneer at you. 

“None of your business you stuck up bitch.”

You would be lying if you say you’ve never been called stuck up or a bitch by the teen population of the surrounding area. Your family, like many, is somewhere between not enough and it’s going to be okay. If nothing else you have a roof over your head in a nice district and you’ve never gone to bed hungry, which is more than you can say for many your age. The sound of the frightened and pained kitten assaults your ears again. 

“It is if you’re hurting it.”

“I said,” one of the boys says through gritted teeth coming towards you, “Mind your business.”

The shove is unexpected and you hit the ground hard and fast. Another boy is behind him and with a well-placed kick to your ribs you’ve doubled over. The two boys turn around snickering to themselves as they rejoin the group and a hand is on your arm helping you up. “You okay?”

You glace and even though you’re seeing red from anger you’re almost shocked to see the red hair of the boy behind you. You nod your thanks to him before you grab a pipe on your way up. With a huff of defiance, you square your shoulders and grip the pipe. 

“What’re you?” questions the guy behind you.

“I said,” you start with a vengeance, “LEAVE IT ALONE.”

You don’t think about your next actions as you rush forward and smack the boy who pushed to the ground in the knee. He’s down in a moment yowling in pain. The boy who kicked you whips around in fury already posed to strike. You don’t give him a chance and with a thrust of the pipe into his stomach, he’s on the ground winded. The other three abandon the tiny creature and rush towards you. In a fury of attacks, you fend them off and beat them to the ground. It’s over before it really even started. 

“Remind me never to piss you off…” says a voice from behind you. 

He’s standing at the entrance to the alley with a smirk on his face. He’s already tall and too slim for his age. His red hair is wild and unkempt, his clothes are dirty and oversized. Clearly out of some bin or a cast-off of one of the more well off families. Who are you kidding? They are probably stolen. You recognize him from school, he’s in your class and like many of your classmates you assume, he just comes to school for the free meal. You don’t know him, he mostly keeps to himself, and when he does talk it’s usually because someone is starting something with him, which he never takes. He’s thin but formidable. He’s never bothered you, so you don’t have a problem with him. 

“Umm… Yeah…” you say awkwardly, unsure of what to say to him as you step over the boys and pick up the mewling kitten. It’s young, all manners of orange, black and white with long matted fur and an orange face. 

“We’re going to get you, you bitch…” grits out one of the boys. You ignore him as you step back around the boys. One of them reaches out to grasp your ankle and you jump out of his way. 

“All that for a kitten?” he asks as he falls into step beside you, he glances back every now and then as if to make sure no one is following you. 

“They were hurting it…” you pout. 

He chuckles, “So what are you going to do with it now?”

“Take care of it,” you say simply as you stop and regard him. You’re at your front door since you hadn’t been far from home when you heard the boys and kitten, it hadn’t taken you long to get there.

“Thank you,” you say with a soft smile, “for looking out for me. I probably shouldn’t have rushed in like that…”

“Well you handled yourself pretty well, so I didn’t really do anything,” he scratches the back of his head in discomfort. 

“Still, thank you,” you say with a nod before you head into your house with a wave. 

This was not a pivotal moment for you, you didn’t become close friends with the boy with red hair. You would occasionally smile at him at school in familiarity, but you wouldn’t call one another friends. You would frown when the people would tease him and even tell the snotty boys and girls to knock it off. You know he could hear them. Not that your opinion mattered to them, you were a nobody, and even if you didn’t go hungry at night, you didn’t have the influence of the affluential kids in the school. 

Therefore, both of your lives continued as they did before and before you knew it a couple of months have passed since that day you brought your kitten home.

There is a biting chill in the air and you knew it would get down to freezing that night. As you approach your home you’re surprised to see the boy with red hair gazing into your window. 

“What are you doing?” you ask from behind him. He jumps clearly startled at being caught, although he looks relieved when he sees you. 

“The kitten,” he says indicating the now 4-month kitten in the window, “it made it. I just wanted to see…”

You smile at him, “I’ll grab her so you can meet her!” you say with excitement.

You rush into your house and pluck her out of the window. She’s purring and rubbing happily against your chin as you take her outside. You feel her little claws dig into your coat and her tiny body tense up. You murmur soothing words to her as you bring her closer to him.

He smiles down at her before he offers his hand for her to smell. She does so hesitantly before rubbing her small face against his hand. He chuckles as he pets her, his long fingers running through her thick fur. 

“She’s cute,” he says softly so as not to startle her. 

“She’s the cutest,” you say happily as she snuggles happily against you. She situates herself right up under your chin and her purrs can be felt on your throat. 

“Well, I uh… don’t want to keep you out in the cold… so I’ll be going…”

“You have a place to stay tonight right?” you ask hesitantly. 

He stops dead in his tracks a few paces away from you.

“I’ll be fine… I always am…”

“It’s going to be really cold tonight though…” you don’t meet his eyes keeping them firmly on the ground beneath you. 

“What would you do about it if I don’t huh?” It’s a challenge. 

For the first time, he sounds a little angry, perhaps hurt.

You look up at him figuring that’s as much as an admission you would get from the prideful boy before you. 

“We have a shed… I could get you a sleeping bag… and a space heater…” Your eyes meet his vibrant blue ones. He has a look of surprise on his face and you look away again a blush on your face. “Maybe you could eat something too…”

“Your parents okay with that?”

“They don’t have to know…”

He nods in understanding and with a tilt of your head you have him follow you into the back yard. Well, it’s not really a yard, just the rest of your property, but enough of one to house a shed and a small patch of grass that you sometimes play on surrounded by a privacy fence. 

You wrap one arm around the kitten to hold her in place before you pull the door open and look into the room. Your mother likes to garden, so a few of her tools are in there along with some extra decorations. Nothing of value and with just enough space for him to stretch out on the floor. 

“You don’t have to do this…” he says, his discomfort obvious in his tense shoulders and ramrod back. He’s glancing around as if he’s afraid that someone will see. Will get suspicious. He looks ready to run.

“And you don’t have to be cold tonight,” you say decisively.

You turn around and rush back into the house only to come outside a few minutes later with a sleeping bag and a few pillows and blankets for him. You begin to set up a bed for him as he stands awkwardly behind you. You’re setting up the space heater when a deep voice startles you both from behind you. 

“What’s going on out here?” 

You whip around to face your dad and you sheepishly smile at him. 

“Umm…. well… you see…” You mutter trying to put the words together. 

“Does he have a place to stay tonight?” Your dad interrupts taking in the terrified look in his eyes and his stance. He looks like he would bolt at any given second. 

“No… he doesn’t and I don’t want something to happen to him tonight since it’s going to be so cold.”

“Are you friends?” You say as you stand and lace your fingers behind your back. 

“Kinda… he watched out for me when I got into that fight with those boys a few months back… When I brought home Milly.”

“I see… Well, he can stay out here tonight, I see you’ve already got a bed for him and a heater. I don’t see any harm in that.”

“Umm… Thank you…” He’s shocked as he answers your dad, his eyes wide as he glances between the two of you. 

“You’re welcome. When was the last time you had a good homecooked meal, son?” your dad asks fatherly. 

He looks away, a pained expression on his face, “Not for a long time sir…”

“Come on then, a hot meal and a shower would do you good. You can’t stay in the house since I’ve got little girls to look out for, but the shed’s sturdy and you should be just fine in their okay?”

“Yes sir, thank you!”

“What’s your name, son?”

“Reno.”

He catches your eyes and you can he can hardly believe what’s happening to him. A place to stay that’s warm and a hot meal. He doesn’t know what to do with himself. You can’t help but think that his smile is beautiful though. 

Dinner is quiet that night with your siblings gazing up at the strange boy at the table, who looks very uncomfortable under the scrutiny of your family. Your dad is lively enough to draw him into a conversation, easing the tension from his shoulders. Reno is quick to answer and respectful clearly not wanting to jeopardize his warm bed tonight. 

“So are you two classmates?” your dad asks after a lull in the current conversation. 

“We are, we’re in the same class.”

“Reno, do you do well in school?”

“Yes sir, I’m hoping to someday be a SOLIDER.”

“A SOLIDER?”

“Yes sir, I’m hoping to apply next year,” you can see the way his eyes light up as he thinks about it.

“I see…” 

You can see the gears turning in your father’s head and you knew that he had a plan for the boy sitting across from you at the table. The topic of conversation switches to some recent news and you all chat idly about things happening at Shinra. Your dad is an employee and is hoping to be promoted soon. Reno is excited when hears this and asks him a whole bunch of questions about the company. Your dad answers them calmly and the two get into a discussion about the future of the company. Reno looks like he’s on cloud nine when your dad says he will recommend him for one of Shinra’s fledgling programs. His eyes light up and you can tell he can hardly believe what he’s hearing. 

“I don’t understand why…” he asks in confusion. 

“You helped out my daughter, made sure she got home safe from a potentially bad situation. Think of it as my thank you, from one man to another.”

He nods in understanding, barely able to believe what he’s hearing. Reno can’t remember a time that someone treated with such respect, talked to him like he was a person and not just a blight on society. 

After dinner is over you take him outside to the shed and explain how the heater works.

“Uhh… Thanks… tonight was…” he trails off and looks away from you. 

“You’re welcome… Just don’t forget me when you become some amazing SOLIDER okay?”

He chuckles and looks down at you through his red hair, more vibrant now that’s he’s showered, “You know I couldn’t do that… forget you I mean… no one’s been this nice to me in a long time.”

A frown falls onto your face, “That’s so stupid… people aren’t better than you because of what they have and you don’t.”

“They don’t see it that way… Yeah, I’ve had to do some shit to survive, but so has every other kid on the street,” he looks ruefully away from you red coloring his neck and ears. 

You tilt your head to one side as you regard him, “It’ll get better.”

“Yeah, it will. When I’m a SOLIDER no one’s gonna disrespect me.”

“That’s why you want to be a SOLIDER? For respect?”

“Well yeah and it pays decently. I want a place to call my own and if I want that no one’s gonna give it to me. I gotta work for it.”

“You’re right, you do. I’m sure you can do it. You are the fastest one in the district after all,” you say with a laugh. 

You see a faint blush on his cheeks before he looks up scratching his cheek in embarrassment. 

“Get some sleep Reno, I’ll see you tomorrow. Good night.”

“Good night…” he murmurs almost wistfully as he crawls into the makeshift bed feeling safe and warm for the first time in a long time. 

However, the next morning you don’t see him. In fact, it will be many years before you see the red-headed boy named Reno. After all your dad had made good on his promise. He took Reno into work for a recommendation for one of the Fledgling programs and Reno started the rest of his life that day. He never forgot you though and hoped to one day see you again.


	2. The Beginning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You reunite with Reno and get an unexpected offer.

Today is a day just like any other day. Sitting at your desk among your many co-workers, you are part of the HR team at Shinra. Is this want you wanted? Not really. Okay, not even close, but it pays the bills. Another email about an internal issue in another one of the departments have you sighing in exasperation. 

There is suddenly an excited murmur among the department and you turn in just enough time to see a tall lean redhead come sauntering up to your desk. You recognize him immediately; even though he is no longer lanky having grown into his height, with lean with broad shoulders. His shirt stretched taut over his muscles making all the women stare. His hair is a vibrant healthy red no longer dulled by malnutrition. His gaze is almost sultry as you are locked in place by his deep green eyes. You blink up at him in confusion at a loss for words.

Reno…

No, not just Reno… 

Reno of the Turks.

He smirks down at you before he sits casually on your desk, like this is a common occurrence in your world, as if he does this all the time, and presents a letter to you. 

“I wanted to be the one to deliver this to you,” he says with a casual shrug at your silent question, his voice is deep and velvety. 

“Thank you,” you say in shock as you take the letter into your hands inspecting it while ignoring your curious co-workers around you.

“I bet you don’t even remember-” Reno begins.

“I do,” you interrupted as you glance up at him through your lashes, “I remember you, Reno. You’ve done well for yourself.” You say as you lean back in your seat to look up at him easily, casually opening the envelope in your hands. A delivery from a Turk is rarely a good thing and your curiosity gets the better of you. 

He sends you an easy grin, completely comfortable and confident in his place and in himself. Of course, you had heard about the successes of Reno. Your dad kept up with his progress and would casually mention him to you from time to time. But even if your dad hadn’t kept you up to date, the Turks are quite notorious, and Reno isn’t exactly one to blend in.

“Indeed I have, though it’s not exactly the life I had pictured,” he leans forward conspiratorially and with a wink he murmurs, “it’s even better.”

You chuckle as he casually leans back, a smirk on his handsome face regarding you before he indicates the letter in your hands. You pull it from the envelope and glance over it before you gaze up at him with wide eyes. He winks and puts a finger to his lips.

“So, long time no see, how’ve you been?” Reno asks just like you are old friends, shifting his posture comfortably on your desk. Though, perhaps you are at this point. 

“I’ve been good, you know, just working and hoping to move up,” you say with a shrug.

“How’s your dad?” Reno asks good-naturedly. 

“Oh, that’s right,” cuts in a snarky voice, “the ‘princess’ gets things handed to her on a platter.”

You glance over at your co-worker as she regards you with disdain. Reno glares over at her and asks in a sharp tone, “did we invite you into this conversation?”

“Uhh… N-no…” Your co-worker stutters, trying to avoid his menacing gaze.

“Then mind your own business,” his voice is almost a growl that sends a shiver down your back. She shrinks down into her seat and quickly averts her eyes back to her work.

You giggle at him, “I had wondered if I was going to get to meet him.”

“Meet who?” Reno asks as he glances down towards you in confusion, the hostility from a second ago completely vanished. 

“‘Reno of the Turks’,” you say with a smile. 

He sends you a sly look, “well, if you wanted to meet him all you had to do was ask.” He leans forward on your desk, holding your gaze before pulling away with a subtle wink.

“‘Wanted’ is a strong word, I think I’m happy with just ‘Reno’,” you say with a soft smile.

His eyes soften, if you hadn’t been watching him you would have missed it. 

“So, you never answered my question,” Reno says clearing his throat, “how’s your dad?”

“He’s doing well! He’s now head of his department, and his people love him.”

Reno nods his head, “I may need to stop by and see him, it’s been a while…” 

“You should, he would like that. He’s very proud of you, you know…”

“He is?” The surprise is evident in his voice. You know he has no biological family of his own, the Turks had clearly become family for him. 

“Of course, you made him look good,” you say with a wink.

He laughs with you, “Of course I did. How many of his recruits became a Turk?”

“Only one, but seriously, he keeps up with you and he doesn’t often keep up with any of his recommendations. He even keeps me up to date with you, so I know he’s really proud of the fact that you made it.”

“He’s a good man,” he says with a nod as he avoids your eyes. 

“Thanks, Reno. So, what turned you into my delivery man?” You ask as you lean your elbows on the desk and rest your chin in your hand grinning up at him. 

He chuckles as he rubs his chin, “well, I recognized your name in the stack and knew that I needed to stop by and see you. After all, you are perfect for this.”

“I am?” You ask with a tilt of your head. 

“What?! Of course! You aren’t afraid of anything,” he winks as he stands up and checks his phone. He regards it with an exaggerated frown, you nod your in understandment. 

“You’re right, I’m not…” you smirked as you watch him walk away. 

“Not even the Turks?” he inquires teasingly over his shoulder, the phone now at his ear.

“Not even the Turks,” you repeated, a sly grin sliding onto your face.

“See you soon,” Reno dismisses with a wave as he heads for the door. He’s speaking low and fast into the receiver.

“See you…” You lift your hand up in a half-wave, you aren’t sure he even saw. You’re still more shocked at seeing him after all this time, and now the letter in your hands. The letter is your chance to move up, and not just by a little bit, but to the top; to achieve a more exciting life, instead of just barely getting by and pushing papers at a desk surrounded by hostility.

“Are you a Turk candidate?” Whispers one of your co-workers. You could almost call this particular one a friend, if only she wasn’t so exhausting to deal with. 

“Umm… No… Reno and I just knew each other briefly when we were younger. He was just stopping by to say hi, and deliver some mail he found.”

“Are you sure that’s it and you’re not just his next whore?” The snarky coworker from before spat bitterly.

“What is your problem?” You ask in annoyance turning towards her.

She gives you a haughty smirk, “you just think you’re so great because of who your daddy is and this job was basically handed to you on a platter. Now you even have a Turk to fight your battles for you? How pathetic.”

“We literally have the same job, doing the same thing, and you think this is glamorous? I work just as hard as you, probably harder since I’m not sticking my nose into everybody’s business. Maybe focus more on your work and less on your spite and you might actually get promoted. Also, my relationship with Reno, regardless of what it is, is none of your business. But you can trust me when I say I don’t need him to fight my battles. I can do that just fine,” you bite back.

She scowls at you, about to hiss another retort when your name is called over the com system, along with 4 other names, to meet at a specific conference room. With a shaky breath, you stand up and head out. You can feel your heart racing as nerves wrack your body. 

You gaze around at the other candidates, three men and one other woman, all looking equally confused and gripping a similar letter in their hands. No one says anything before the screen on the far side of the room springs to life, on the other side is the Rufus Shinra. 

“Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. I’m sure you are all very confused as to why I have called you here. As you have ascertained from the letter given to you this morning, I am in need of a personal assistant and you have all been selected as potential candidates. Since this is a time-sensitive matter, we will be doing the interviews today. You have all been chosen since you are the best at what you do and hold qualities that are valuable to the position. You all also come highly recommended by a member of the corporation and I look forward to speaking with each one of you. Thank you.”

Quick and to the point, you would expect nothing less of Rufus Shinra.

The first man called into the office is a serious-looking man named Chase. Your right leg begins to bounce with nervous energy and you just stare at one spot on the wall in front of you. You were not expecting this to be what you did today. Next up, was a man that resembled more the likeness of a snake than an actual man. You don’t bother listening to his name, he’s too smug for you to pay much attention to. Shortly after, your name was called next and you walk into the room with your back straight, a serious look on your face.

You regarded the four Turks in the room calmly. They are positioned behind Rufus Shinra’ desk and you read it for what it is -- an intimidation tactic. You catch Rufus’ eyes and give him your most professional smile, holding out your hand to shake and introduce yourself confidently. 

“Miss. (L.Name), you have come to me highly recommended. Please, tell me what you could bring to this position?”

You give him another one of your best smiles before you begin your answer, “thank you, sir. I am very efficient, hard-working, and reliable. I always strive to solve problems creatively and effectively. I work independently, as well as in a team with no problems. I-”

“These are very wonderful answers, Miss. (L.Name). However, everyone I have chosen today is efficient, hard-working, and reliable. They are the best in their current department. What I want to know is what sets you apart from them.” 

Your eyes widen from being suddenly interrupted. Rufus Shinra regards you coolly from behind his sleek marble desk. Your eyes are in your lap and you glance up just enough to see the Turks gazing at you with unreadable expressions. You inhale a sigh, a smirk slides its way onto your lips as Reno’s words echo in your mind, and you throw caution to the wind.

“Well sir, I was told recently I’m not scared of anything. And I mean anything. I don’t just mean work-related challenges, even though I can tackle them head-on as well. I mean, I was almost assaulted on my way home from work last week and I had to beat three drunks into the ground with the lid of a trash can,” your gaze is fierce as you regard the past week’s events, “I don’t take anyone’s shit, and I don’t particularly care who they are or how important they think they are, I don’t tolerate being disrespected. So to put it frankly, if you are looking for an assistant that will wipe your ass every day and praise everything that you do… Then I am afraid I’m not that person. However, if you want an assistant that will contribute valuably to Shinra and it’s future, all while actually getting things done, then you can do yourself a favor and hire me now.”

The room is silent at your speech and you know in the next moment you are either getting promoted or fired. When a smirk slides onto his lips and a light chuckle escapes them, you start to feel the tension leave your shoulders. 

“He was right about you… You are perfect…” Rufus muses more to himself than to you. 

“My father?” You ask instinctively. 

“Reno,” he says as he indicates the redhead to his left, “he said that you’re perfect for the job. I admit at first I didn’t believe him. You seemed too compliant, but, as it turns out, he was right.”

“So, I start Monday?” You ask with a sly smile as you regard the group before you.

“Yes you will, unfortunately, I still have to do interviews to keep up appearances. The job is yours though.”

You can’t stop the smile on your face, “thank you, sir! You won’t regret this.”

“Let’s hope not…” Rufus glances between you and Reno, just as Reno sends you a signature wink. 

“We shall discuss the details of your new salary on Monday, in the meantime, you have the rest of the day off. You will be moving into your new apartment closer to Shinra and my condo.”

“Oh?”

“Someone will be in contact with you this afternoon about your new accommodations.”

“Thank you, I look forward to working with you,” you say sincerely, getting up to shake his hand once more before leaving the room. 

Your expression gives nothing away as you leave the room and head back to your desk to gather your things. Though, there is an energetic skip in your step as you head to the door. 

Several hours later, as you are finishing cleaning off your bookshelf there is a knock at your door. You furrow your brow and go to answer it. Opening it, you find Reno on the other side. He looks up and into your eyes the moment the door opens. 

“Figured you might be hungry,” he says, indicating the pizza in his hands.

You smile as you open the door wider, “a man after my own heart.”

Reno smiles as he walks inside and inspects the place. 

“Nice place! I think you’re gonna love your new one too, though.” He sets the pizza box down on your kitchen counter. 

“You think so?”

“Yeah, I do. You’ll be pretty close to all of us too.”

You walk to the cabinet to grab plates for you both. You hand him one before he opens the box and you both dig in. 

“You’re right on time. I was starting to get hungry.”

“Yeah? How’s packing going? You need any help?” He asks around a mouth full of pizza.

“I couldn’t ask you to help me, Reno. You’ve done a lot for me already, recommending me for this job and all.”

“What are you talking about? You were already a candidate. I just put the bug in the boss’ ear. Plus there is no way that I could stand Tseng’s pick,” he says with a shudder.

“Let me guess! That really serious looking guy!”

“The one who never even changed his tone the entire time,” Reno says with a groan. 

“Yeah, working with him would have been brutal…” You say as an afterthought as you take a bite of pizza. 

“There would have been two of them then…” You share an overexaggerated look of horror with Reno before you both burst out laughing. 

“I’m glad he picked you,” he leans against the counter sending you a sly look.

“Oh? Why is that?”

“Well, you actually have a personality, plus you are WAY easier on the eyes than those other guys.”

You scoff as you playfully punch him, “so you just wanted me to have the job because of my looks?”

“Hey! I said you have a personality first!”

You laugh heartily, glancing over at him. “Thanks, Reno,” you say, bumping him lightly with your shoulder.

“Don’t mention it,” Reno shrugs.

You both fall into a comfortable silence before you head to your fridge and pull out some wine. 

“Want some?” you offer, as you go to grab a glass from the shelf. 

“You don’t have any beer, do you?”

You frown slightly, “No… You want anything else?”

“Naw, the wine is fine…”

“Sorry, I’m not much of a beer drinker…”

“S’okay, it’s your house… Plus I should have grabbed some on the way over.”

You pour him a glass and hand it to him. He thanks you quietly before he takes a sip, “not bad…” he regards the liquid in his glass. 

After a few minutes, Reno claps his hands, “come on! We gotta get you packed!”

“Reno! I told you that you don’t have to help!”

“Well too bad because I am!” He says as he undoes the clasp on his suit jacket and throws it over the back of your couch. 

“Is the apartment furnished?” You inquire as you glance around your own place. 

“Nope, I’m taking you shopping tomorrow while the movers come to pick up your things.”

“Wait! What? Tomorrow? The movers are coming tomorrow?!” You begin to panic.

“Yep! That’s why we gotta get you packed!”

You curse under your breath, “you could have said something sooner!”

“And ruin dinner? That was top notch cheap pizza!”

You hide your smile and roll your eyes, “you’re ridiculous…”

“You love it,” he smirks as he grabs a box and heads into the kitchen. 

It’s at that moment a small meow is heard from the floor and Reno looks down in surprise. His eyebrows practically jump up into his hairline and his mouth opens in surprise. 

“Is this!?” He exclaims.

“It sure is!” You giggle as Milly skirts around Reno and rushes to you. You pick her up as she regards the new person warily sniffing the air in his direction. You pet her to help calm her nerves and speak gently to her as you do so. She eventually relaxes against you while still regarding Reno with distrust.

“I can’t believe you still have her… Then again I don’t know how long cats live,” he scratches the back of his head in slight embarrassment.

“They live for a while. I once heard of a woman whose cat was 32 when she died.”

“The cat or the lady!?” He asks in surprise.

“The cat!!” You laugh.

Reno chuckles as he slowly approaches you and holds out his hand for the cat to sniff. She does so hesitantly before rubbing her face against his hand. He chuckles again as he pets her, astonished that she is in your arms. 

His eyes soften as he watches her rub her face against his outstretched hand, no doubt recalling the last time he saw her. 

“It seems so long ago… a lifetime…” Reno says softly. 

“I guess for you it was…” You glance up at him with a smile. 

“Yeah… My life changed a lot that night… I owe your dad a lot,” he murmured wistfully, “He got me off the streets, helped me make something of myself. Even when I was talking about my dreams that night, I didn’t know if I would ever escape that hellhole. Now look at me, I’m a Turk. Not exactly the life I was picturing back then, but I’m not going to complain about it.”

“I’m happy for you Reno… People were so cruel to you…”

“Hey now! Enough with the sappiness! We’ve got to get you packed! You move in tomorrow!” He turns away abruptly leaving Milly meowing in annoyance that her pets stopped suddenly. 

“Oh! Right! Okay!” You exclaim in surprise at the sudden topic change. You understood though, he doesn't want to relive his old life, he left it behind so many years ago. Perhaps this time though you’ll get to be the friends that the two of you never got to be.

With that, you both get to work packing up your apartment, throwing jokes and comments at one another along with knick knacks that you each find along the way. The playful banter is something you didn’t know you needed, it keeps the nerves at bay. Or maybe it’s Reno that you didn’t know you needed...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So long!! It's been so long! Whoops? I hope you enjoy this chapter! Please drop some love!

**Author's Note:**

> Let’s not pretend we weren’t expecting this. I love my bad boy. This also just kind of hit me. I literally picked up the controller to continue the game today and then set it down to write this. I’m not sorry. Anyway I hope you like this! Please leave me some feed back. If you want to be tagged let me know!


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